Mr. Smith grew up in New Orleans, La., and served in the U.S. Army for three years as a young man. He moved to Staten Island in the 1950s, living in West Brighton and St. George, before settling upstate about five years ago.

While living on the Island, he attended Shiloh A.M.E. Zion Church, West Brighton.

For 42 years, Mr. Smith worked as a chef on a ship, his family said. Even when he wasn’t sailing, he enjoyed cooking, and was widely known for his Cajun specialties.

He was also very family oriented and would do favors for people no matter what, his family said, recalling his talent for making people laugh. He was very close with Terry Player, whom he considered like a son.

His wife of more than 30 years, the former Doretha Ganzy died in 1997.

Surviving are his sons, Gregory Smith and Lawrence Holmes, and two brothers, Stafford and Charles Smith.

The funeral will be Friday from the Stradford Funeral Home, Tompkinsville, with a service at 11:30 a.m. in the Shiloh A.M.E. Zion Church. Burial will follow in Clover Leaf Memorial Cemetery, Woodbridge, N.J.